New Jersey regulates security officers through the Security Officer Registration Act, known as SORA (N.J.S.A. 45:19A), which the New Jersey State Police run through their Private Detective Unit under the rules in N.J.A.C. 13:55A. Guards register individually. The certificate lasts 2 years for unarmed officers and 1 year for armed officers.
Who needs SORA registration
- Security company employees. Anyone who works as a security officer for a security company, protecting people or property or preventing theft or unauthorized entry, must be registered. Working without registration is a fourth-degree crime, and a guard can also face civil penalties of up to $1,000 for a first offense and $2,500 after that. Employers face up to $10,000 and $20,000 (45:19A-4, 45:19A-8).
- Armed in-house guards. Since Detective Melvin Vincent Santiago's Law (P.L.2015, c.295), in-house security officers who carry a firearm must register too.
- Who is exempt: unarmed in-house (proprietary) security staff, unarmed loss prevention employees, unarmed in-house staff at arenas and stadiums where police are on site during events, and security employees regulated under federal law.
- Police officers working security. Active law enforcement officers paid by a private employer for security work must register. They are exempt only from the 24-hour course, and that exemption ends when they retire or leave law enforcement.
Requirements
- At least 18 years old.
- No conviction for a first-, second-, third- or fourth-degree crime, a controlled dangerous substance offense, or any offense that the State Police superintendent decides would make registration contrary to the public interest (45:19A-4(c)).
- Fingerprints for state and FBI background checks, at your cost.
How to apply
- Apply online through the State Police site (Services, then SORA). Use your personal email, not a work or instructor's address, because renewal notices go there. If you have ever applied before, even if that application expired or was withdrawn, log in as a returning applicant.
- Pay by card. Visa, Mastercard or Discover, and a Visa gift card works. Fees are non-refundable.
- Get fingerprinted through the IdentoGo link inside your application. If you book another way, the State Police will not receive your prints and you will have to be printed again.
- Book the 24-hour course with an instructor from the registry linked at the end of the application.
- Get your certificate. After you finish training, the State Police issue your certificate of registration and a SORA ID card.
The 30-day deadline
You have 30 days from the date of your application to finish fingerprinting and the 24-hour course. Miss it and you must file a new application and pay the fees again (13:55A-3.4). Book the class before you apply, or right after.
The 24-hour course
Only SORA-certified instructors can teach it. The rules require at least 2 hours on each of these topics (13:55A-4.1):
- Homeland security and counter-terrorism
- Communications and emergency response
- Theft prevention
- The limits on use of force and detention
- Critical incident awareness, including suspicious packages, arson and fire prevention
- Ethics and professional conduct
- First aid, CPR and AED
Cost
- Application: $75, which is a $50 fee plus a $25 registry surcharge.
- Fingerprints: $66.05 for initial prints according to the State Police fee page, with archive fees possibly on top.
- Training: set by each instructor.
- Renewal: $60 ($40 plus a $20 surcharge), plus the refresher course.
On the job
- Carry your SORA ID card and your company ID card while on duty (13:55A-6.2).
- Your company reports new hires to the State Police within 5 business days (13:55A-6.3).
Armed security officers
- Armed SORA certification. Anyone doing armed security work needs it, including armed in-house staff and off-duty or retired police. It replaces the regular certification, the fees are the same, and there is no separate SORA curriculum, but armed applicants are fingerprinted again.
- It does not let you carry a gun. You also need a New Jersey Permit to Carry a Handgun from the police chief where you live, or from the State Police superintendent if your town has no police department or you live out of state. The permit application fee is $200, the permit lasts 2 years and it has its own firearms training requirement (N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4).
- Renew every year, with the 8-hour refresher each time.
- Uniform and equipment. Armed officers wear a standardized uniform with the SORA Level 2 badge, company-issued shirts have "SECURITY" printed on the back, and the handgun goes in a Level 3 or higher retention holster (13:55A-6.1). Armed officers in plain clothes carry the Level 2 badge, their SORA certification and their carry permit.
- Magazines. The State Police FAQ limits magazines to 10 rounds under an employment-based carry permit (15 under a retired police officer permit).
Renewal
- Unarmed certificates renew every 2 years, armed certificates every year.
- Before the expiration date, complete an 8-hour refresher with a SORA-certified instructor (45:19A-4(f)).
- The State Police email reminders 90, 60 and 30 days before expiration to the address in your profile. Log in, open the Security Officer tab and choose Submit Renewal.
- An expired or revoked certificate must be returned to the State Police within 72 hours (45:19A-4(e)).
How tessura helps
A New Jersey renewal depends on a refresher class you have to book in time, and armed officers juggle a yearly SORA renewal with a carry permit on a 2-year cycle. tessura is free for guards: keep your SORA ID card and training certificates in the credential wallet, and add your certification and carry permit to get reminders at 60, 30 and 7 days before each expires.
tessura is not affiliated with the New Jersey State Police or any state agency. Rules change, so confirm anything you rely on with the State Police Private Detective Unit.